Discoveries
by SennaFan4ever
Summary: Annie is on a new journey of her own at MIT, while Alex tries to adjust to her big sister being miles away.  As Annie navigates her new world, she soon discovers what happens when she allows herself to open up and let someone new into her life.
1. Chapter 1

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from TSWOAM. They are to Ken Lipan. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.  
>Enjoy!<p>

A/N: This story takes place after "I Will Always Be with You." I hope everyone likes it!

"Discoveries"

Chapter 1

Annie sat down in her desk chair and sighed. Alex had left a few hours ago and Annie missed her little sister already. She didn't think she'd miss her after only being apart for only a few hours. But she found she was wrong.

Annie knew her little sister would be okay, but she still had to give up control of watching over her and trying to protect her 24/7. It would be hard, but she would try her best.

She figured she would distract herself by studying. She pulled one of her books closer and opened it. To her surprise, she couldn't' concentrate. For the first time if ever, her books weren't providing her the distraction they usually did.

As she was about to close the book, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey, Annie!" Alex's voice greeted her.

"Hey, my Al. What's up? Are you home yet?"

"Yeah," Alex replied. "I've been grounded for two weeks."

"Well, it could have been worse. You'll be fine. And when you're done being grounded, you're going to come stay with me for a weekend."

"Oh yeah!" Alex said happily. "I forgot about that. I love you, Annie."

"I love you too, Alex. I'm going to go now. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," her sister said. "I'll talk to you later. Did you get IM yet?"

"Yeah. My username is puddlesister24."

Alex giggled.

"That's good!"

"All right, my Al, I'll talk to you later."

"Later, Annie."

Annie smiled as she shut her phone off. Even though she missed Alex, she knew her sister would be okay.

Feeling at ease now that she knew Alex was safe at home, she turned her attention back to her book. She opened it and turned the page just as the door opened.

Turning to face who had just come in, Annie found herself gazing into a set of friendly and curious blue eyes. She smiled warmly, despite herself. She was a friendly person, but she was never one to make the first move or extend the branch of friendship first.

"Hi," she greeted. "I'm Annie."

"It's nice to meet you, Annie. I would have been here yesterday, but we had a slight family emergency with my little sister."

Annie nodded.

"What happened?" She asked before she could stop herself. She blushed when she realized what she had just said. She wasn't normally this outgoing. What was going on with her? "Never mind. I'm sorry. I don't' know where that came from."

"It's okay," the girl replied. "I'm Carly by the way. I should have told you my name earlier. I don't mind talking about it. My little sister, Abby, fell off her bike and broke her arm. We had to take her to the hospital right as we were leaving. She wanted me to stay with her, so that's why I came late. She and I are really close."

Annie nodded.

"My sister Alex and I are the same way. How old is Abby?"

"She's ten." Carly replied. "She's a sweetheart."

"Alex is fifteen," Annie said. "She didn't' want me to leave either. But she'll be okay. She has our parents and her best friend, Ray and boyfriend, Hunter."

Carly nodded. She made a face when Annie mentioned the word boyfriend, but quickly covered it up with smile.

"Do you need any help unpacking?" Annie asked.

"No. I'm fine," Carly replied. "Thanks anyway."

Annie nodded.

"Did you eat yet?" Carly asked as she made her bed and set a suitcase on top of it. The suitcase was purple with Hawaiian flowers printed all over it.

Annie watched as Carly dug into it and pulled out a pink teddy bear. It was only when she got a clear view that she realized it was a Care Bear.

"Did Abby give that to you?" She asked, not being able to curb her curiosity.

"Yeah," Carly replied.

"It's cute," Annie commented. "I won Alex a teddy bear when she was three. She still has him. His name is Casper. It's about the only plush she has left. I once threw him out the window when she was five because I had just cleaned my side of the room and Alex hadn't cleaned hers yet."

Carly giggled.

"Our cousin, Justin, did that to Abby's plush cat when she was five. I had to go rescue it and pull it out of the pond."

Annie smiled.

"I probably would have done the same for Alex." Annie mused. As she cross the room, she and Carly bumped arms by accident.

As they made contact, Annie felt a strange sensation go through her. She didn't' think much of it though. She just chalked it up to a residual affect of Alex's powers from that morning. She had zapped the toaster to make it work and her zap had hit the floor by accident. Her aim was off due to her still not feeling the best.

"Sorry," Annie apologized.

"It's okay," Carly replied. "It's not a big deal."

Secretly, Carly was smiling inside. SHE knew what the sensation was, but she didn't' want to voice her thoughts aloud for fear of scaring Annie off or making her feel uncomfortable.

"Do you want to go get something to eat?" Annie asked. "I can show you around afterwards."

"Sure," Carly agreed. "Thanks."

"No problem," Annie said. As she watched Carly brush her auburn hair, she saw the sun hit it and smiled to herself. She had to resist the urge to offer to brush it for her.

Before she could stop herself or think about what she was saying, her lips were moving rapidly.

"Um, it's kind of hot out there," Annie said, "you might want to put your hair up."

"You think so? " Carly asked.

Annie nodded.

"It's your choice, but you would be more comfortable. I've been wearing my hair up since I got here a few days ago."

After Carly had gotten ready, she followed Annie out of their room and they left for the student building.

"Why don't' we have lunch somewhere else? "Carly suggested. 'I saw this little café near the art building. Do you want to go and have coffee?"

"I don't actually drink coffee," Annie admitted.

Carly grinned back.

"Neither do I," she said with a slight giggle. "It tastes like mud."

"Have you ever tasted mud before?" Annie asked.

"Once," Carly admitted. "I was six and my cousin, Alice dared me to."

Annie giggled, despite herself.

"Alex did that when she was six. Her best friend, Ray dared her."

Carly nodded.

As they walked down the street, they got into a comfortable conversation about their families and past experiences.

Annie learned that Carly's favorite play was "The Sound of Music" and her favorite Disney movie was "Aladdin." She also learned that she loved mysteries and enjoyed listening to classical music and playing the piano.

They had the same taste in music, which was nice.

"My favorite movie is Mary Poppins," Annie said.

"I like that one too!" Carly exclaimed. "What's your favorite song?"

"A Spoonful of Sugar," Annie answered. "Alex loves "Feed the Birds" and Stay Awake."

They had arrived at the coffee shop by this point.

Annie blushed as she stood back, waiting for Carly to go first.

"Oh no," she replied. "You can go first."

Annie shook her head.

"It's okay. Go on," she insisted. "You can go first."

"A-are you sure?" She asked.

"I'm positive," Annie replied.

"Okay," Carly replied. She went forward and she and Annie bumped into each other once again. Carly threw Annie an apologetic look, but the other adult dismissed it.

Once they were inside, they picked a booth in a corner and sat down.

Annie gazed at the menu that was directly above the counter and found something she wanted immediately.

"What do you think you want to get?" Annie asked Carly.

"I'm not sure," Carly replied. "Why don't we split something?"

"Okay," Annie agreed. "Are you allergic to anything?"  
>"NO," she said.<p>

"I'm just checking. My sister Alex is allergic to horse radish. It makes her. Really sick," she said quickly. She couldn't believe she had almost told her the truth, no pun intended.

She didn't know what it was about Carly, but she felt like she could tell her anything and it would be safe. Even Alex's secret. But she knew that was Alex's call. SHE would leave that one up to her little sister.

"Do you see anything you want?" Carly asked.

"Yeah. How about we split a chocolate sundae and each pick a topping."

"Sounds good to me. I think I'm going to get peanut butter cups."

Annie grinned.

"I like those too."

Just then, a young man approached their table.

Annie smiled in greeting and introduced herself and Carly. She saw Carly cringe out of the corner of her eye and she found herself wondering what had caused her new friend to do so. Once again, she found herself resisting the urge to reach across the table and squeeze her hand comfortingly.

"Hey ladies, what can I get for you?" He asked.

"We'll have a chocolate sundae with double peanut butter cups and whipped cream please?" Annie ordered for the both of them.

"Coming right up," he said. He wrote down the information and left the two alone so he could fulfill their order…


	2. Chapter 2

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.  
>Enjoy!<p>

A/N: Here's the next chapter! I hope everyone likes it!

"Discoveries"

Chapter 2

"Are you okay?" Annie asked in concern.

"Yeah," Carly replied. "I'm fine."

"You seemed a little freaked out a few minutes ago."

"I'm okay," Carly insisted.

"Okay," Annie said. "If you're sure."

Carly nodded.

"Alex says I'm a good listener," Annie offered.

"You're really sweet," Carly commented. "Maybe I'll take you up on your offer."

"Good."

The waiter brought their order and left the two alone to talk once again.

Annie and Carly had been engaged in a conversation this time. That meant Carly didn't' react as she had the first time he had approached them.

Once they returned to their room, Annie found herself wanting to continue their conversation, but she knew she had to study. She got a book out and opened it to the chapter she had been reading a few hours ago. Try as she might, she couldn't' concentrate.

Her thoughts kept drifting to two people in particular. Alex was the first one and Carly was the second.

Annie couldn't understand why her thoughts kept floating back to her new roommate. SHE barely knew her. If there was one thing she did know, it was that she had had a good time today. In fact, it had been the best time she had had in a long while.

*******

"Do you want to take a walk?" Carly asked a few hours later. They had eaten dinner and Annie had already talked to Alex for a few minutes.

"Sure," Annie replied. She was surprised at how easily Carly could pull her away from her studies. Nobody else had been able to do that to her except for Alex.

The two left the room and headed for a quiet spot overlooking the Communication Arts building.

Gazing up at the sky that was now full of star's, Annie smiled.

"It's nice out here," she remarked.

"I love nights like this, " Carly confided in her. "Come on."

"Do you wanna sit down?" Annie asked, spotting a bench a little ways away.

"I was thinking something else," Carly replied. She fell backwards, landing on the soft grass below. "Come on," she coaxed. 'I promise it won't hurt."

Annie smiled as she joined her on the ground. She folded her arms behind her head and gazed up at the night sky.

"This is nice," she commented. "I never did this before. Alex always wanted me to, but I was always too busy."

"There's more to life than studying, Annie," Carly said softly.

"I'm beginning to see the truth in that statement, " Annie whispered. "Thanks for showing me."

"It was my pleasure," Carly said. She found her eyes drifting away from the stars and settling on Annie's face. Annie's hair cascaded down her back, framing her face in an angelic light from the moon.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" Annie asked.

"No," Carly replied. "I'm sa-sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"It's okay," Annie said.

The two returned to their dorm room two hours later.

"It's a good thing we don't' have class tomorrow," Carly commented as she climbed into her bed and snuggled down with Abby's bear in her arms.

"You're telling me," Annie replied, getting into her own bed. She pulled a panda bear Alex had gotten her and snuggled it.

"Sweet dreams," Carly said.

"You too," Annie replied.

It wasn't' long before Annie was awoken by a strange beeping sound. She opened her eyes before her brain registered it was her cell phone ringing.

Glancing at the clock, she discovered it was only five in the morning.

"Hello?" Annie asked softly.

"Annie!" Came Alex's frightened voice.

"Alex, what's wrong?" She asked in concern.

"I had the nightmare again!" Alex cried. "The one where everyone found out about my…my pa…powers!"

"Okay, all right. Take a deep breath. I won't hang up the phone until you're calm down. I promise."

"Okay," Alex replied.

The two sisters talked in low voices for the next twenty-minutes until Annie was sure Alex was okay.

Once she had hung up the phone, she laid back down and tried to get some more sleep.

It felt like she had just gotten back to sleep when a scream pierced the silence, followed by a whimper.

Annie sat straight up in bed and looked around. She glanced over to the right and saw Carly tossing and turning.

The Care-bear was on the floor.

For a split second, Annie wasn't' sure what to do. Carly wasn't' Alex and the techniques she used for her little sister may not necessarily work for her.

But as she heard her continue to whimper, she felt a strong urge to help.

Rushing to her bedside, she knelt down and started nudging her awake.

"Carly, come on. It's just a nightmare. You're okay. It's time to wake up now." She coaxed.

"No! Please, don't hurt me! Please! I-I da-didn't mean to burn dinner!"

Annie's breath caught in her throat when she heard the words. She couldn't believe someone had hurt her. She felt the same protective instincts for Alex surface for Carly.

Carly woke up a minute later, shaking and crying.

Trying one of the techniques she used for Alex, Annie gained her attention first.

"Carly, it's okay," she assured her. "You're safe."

"Annie?" She asked.

"Yes. It's Annie. It's okay," she comforted her. "What were you dreaming about?"

"I-it was na-nothing," she tried.

"Carly, it wasn't nothing. You're stuttering again. " Annie pointed out kindly. "You never stuttered when we first met today."

Carly sighed. She gazed to where Annie's voice was coming from.

Annie reached over and turned on the lamp in between their beds.

"Is that better?" She asked.

Carly nodded. She reached out and Annie surprised herself by pulling her in for a hug. She wanted to help and her friend was visibly afraid.

"Who were you apologizing to?" Annie asked softly. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'll understand. It's your choice."

Carly relaxed in Annie's embrace as she felt her hug her close.

"My fa-father," she replied shakily.

"What!" Annie found herself shouting without meaning to. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Carly said softly.

"He left us when Abby was four, but he hurt me more than he hurt her. I-I truh-tried my best to pro-protect her so I would take the punishments for her. Sha-she wasn't a ba-bad girl, she just…" her voice trailed off as more tears came.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," Annie comforted. "I'm here. You're okay." Then before she could stop herself she vowed, "I'll protect you."

"Annie, you barely know me," Carly pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," Annie countered. "I know you well enough to know that you're a sweet, smart and giving person who doesn't' deserve to be hurt like that. No person deserves to be hurt."

"I know you may not feel comfortable," Carly began, "but would you stay with me tonight, pla-please?"

"Done," Annie said. She settled down next to Carly after she tucked her back in. She ran a hand through Carly's hair and sighed to herself.

Glancing down at the floor, she noticed Care-bear laying there. She bent down and picked the bear up and gave him to Carly.

"Here. I think she fell when you were tossing and turning."

"Thanks," Carly whispered.

"No problem," Annie replied. She got comfortable before closing her own eyes and attempting to sleep for a few more hours. She was glad that Carly had opened up to her a little bit. She had a feeling there was more to Carly's story. But Annie would let Carly tell her on her own. She wasn't one for prying and she respected Carly as a friend, so she would wait for her to tell her when she was ready.

As the word "friend" rolled around in Annie's brain, she started thinking her roommate could be a little more than a friend. The last thought she had before drifting back to sleep was of Alex. She hoped her little sister was okay.

She longed to be back at home, comforting Alex like she had just done for Carly.

Annie sighed. She would call her when she awoke for the rest of the day…


	3. Chapter 3

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman. I do however own Carly and anyone else you don't' recognize.  
>Enjoy!<p>

A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update this story! I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter.

"Discoveries"

Chapter 3

Two weeks flew by in a rush. Before Annie knew it, she was taking her first exam and she and Carly had become really good friends. They had gone out to lunch a few times together and had explored the campus.

A week later, Annie was working on a paper when Carly came into their room.

"Hey," Annie greeted. She glanced up when Carly didn't answer her at first. She raised her eyebrows in concern when she saw the expression on her friend's face. "Are you okay?"

"No," Carly replied. "I'm really tired, actually. I've been feeling tired all day."

"Take a nap then," Annie suggested.

Carly didn't need much coaxing. She walked over to her bed, picked up Abby's bear and laid down.

Annie took one look at her friend's slightly flushed face and had pity on her. Getting up, she walked over to her bed and tucked her in.

"Thanks," Carly mumbled.

"It's okay," Annie replied, "I'm used to do in that for Alex. I don't mind. "

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Yeah. A lot more than I Thought I would," Annie admitted.

"Why don't you invite her to-"

"Shh, sleep," Annie ordered gently, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"You really are a big sister," she said with a small smile of her own.

"You know it," Annie replied.

Just then, Annie's cell phone rang.

"Hey, my AL," she said automatically when she saw Alex's name come up on the display. "How was your day?"

"Annie, you got to help me!"

"What happened now? Where are you?" Annie asked.

"The garage,"

"Okay. This is bad. What happened?"

As Alex went onto explain what trouble Ray had gotten them into this time, Annie tried hard not to loose her temper at Ray's idiocy. She also fought against the urge to buy a ticket home. She had a feeling leaving him in charge of her little sister where her powers were concerned was just asking for trouble.

"I'm going to kill him," Annie said.

As Annie listened to Alex explain the rest of the story, she couldn't help but glance over at Carly in concern.

Walking over to her bed, Annie put the back of her hand to Carly's forehead to check her for a fever. She frowned when she realized she felt warm.

"I hate to say it, my Al, but you got yourself into this mess. Actually, Ray got you into this mess. You gotta get yourself out."

"Would I be selfish if I said I wanted you home?"

"No. But I can't be there right now. I'm coming home for spring break in two weeks. You'll be fine. I love you."

"Annie, I need your help!" Alex insisted.

Annie sighed as she tried to come up with a solution. She and Alex talked for a few more minutes before Annie told her she had to go. After the phone call ended, Annie heaved a sigh and sat back down at her desk. She had a paper due in Women's history. But the more she tried to concentrate, the more her mind floated to her little sister and Carly. She knew Alex would be okay once she calmed down and realized she could figure this one out for herself. As for Carly, Annie prayed she would let her help her when the time came. Heaving another sigh, she continued to work on her paper while glancing over at Carly every few minutes.

A few hours later, Annie entered the room with a tray of soup and Ginger ale. She set it on the nightstand and went over to wake Carly up. She was going to get her to eat something, even if she had to feed her. Turning on the TV and setting the volume low, Annie flipped until she found Garfield and Friends and decided it would do. They weren't really watching it anyway.

"Carly?" Annie whispered, shaking her al little. "Come on. It's time to eat."

Carly swatted at her hand and mumbled something untelegiatble.

Annie grinned. She reminded her of Alex.

Opening her eyes, Carly glanced up to see Annie sitting by her bed.

"Hey," she whispered.

Annie winced when she heard how scratchy her friend's voice sounded.

"Hey yourself," she replied. "Come on. I got us some dinner. Why don't we split it?"

"I'm not hungry," Carly said.  
>"Well I am. I got us some soup. If you're not up for holding for the spoon, I have a different way." She smiled as she poured some of the soup into a cup and put a straw in it. "Ta-da! I did this for Alex when she had strep throat back when she was twelve. It does wonders, trust me. Now drink."<p>

"Yes, ma'am," Carly replied.

Annie smiled at her as she began to eat her own meal. As they watched the Buddy bears torture Garfield, Annie snuck glances at Carly every so often to make sure she was eating. At

Once Carly was done, Annie set he cup aside and took an ear thermometer out of her first aid kit. She made a mental note to thank her mother for giving it to her. She put it in Carly's left ear and waited for it to beep. When it did, she took it out of Carly's mouth and read the results.

"You have a fever," she announced.

Carly nodded, even though it hurt to do so.

"I'm gonna try and bring it down," Annie informed her, "will you let me help you?"

"Uh-huh," she replied.

"Good," Annie smiled at her warmly while going about her task. She got a wash cloth out of her shower bag and went into the bathroom. She returned and draped it across her friend's forehead in hopes it would cool her off and decrease her temperature.

"Thanks," Carly whispered.

"You don't have to thank me," Annie said, "I don't mind, really."

"You're sweet," Carly commented, giving Annie a tiny smile, "I'm beginning to see why Alex misses you so much."

Annie nodded. She flipped the channel on the TV and stopped on Toon Disney. She half recognized Princess Jasmine's voice as she argued with Iago, but Annie was mostly focused on taking care of Carly. As she glanced down at her friend's tired face and slightly pale complexion, she had a feeling that the night was about to get very long…


End file.
